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Brush falls to Lady Rams in season opener

BY KATIE COLLINS Brush News Tribune

Posted:
12/04/2012 10:57:39 AM MST

Melissa Wahlert brings the ball down the court for the Diggers againts Akron.
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Coming off a 20-4 overall season that saw the Lady Beetdiggers taken down just once in 3A Patriot League play last year brings with it great expectations for a Brush squad that earned their way to the state "sweet 16."

But for head coach Tom George, it's a whole new season and a whole new ballgame, despite having his varsity team ranked No. 8 by the Denver Post.

During a pre-game interview with 1010KSIR, the AM radio station broadcasting Beetdigger basketball, George predicted the season opener versus 2A's No. 1 ranked Akron Rams would prove extremely tough, especially against the Rams' tried and tested pressure defense.

"At times we handle the ball extremely well and we pass really well," said George. "And then there are those times when we just don't. From what I got from the scrimmages we'd played against pressure defenses like Akron, we had trouble early on, but once we started moving the ball we handled the pressure pretty well."

"When it comes to down to our team and whether or not we'll be successful, we've got to be patient and not force the ball," he continued. "If we can do that, we can be a good basketball team."

That pressure was felt thick through the air at the BHS gym on Saturday night as the 'Diggers debuted, and that same pressure and patience were immediately felt as 'Digger mental mistakes let the Rams take an early 5-0 lead on swift steals and Brush passing struggles.

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The 'Digger D managed to hold Akron to just a 14-6 lead by the end of the first period of play, and Brush managed to creep up to a 15-12 deficit into the second. Foul trouble and more Ram swipes earned Akron a 32-19 lead going into the second half, despite a persistent effort from senior forward Alex White. She led Brush will 8 points in the game and tied with junior center Kristen Berg in mounting 6 rebounds apiece.

Turnover trouble continued in the third, and despite the team's only three-point shot swished by senior guard Jordan Deslauriers, who also earned four steals and seven assists, and a sensational hook-shot posted by classmate Bailey Kraich, Akron continued to dominate, earning a 53-37 lead going into the final frame.

Brush would sink just six points in the entire fourth quarter, while Akron answered with 17, finishing off the 'Diggers' 70-43 defeat.

Now 0-1, the Brush varsity girls next will travel to Wiggins for a county-rivalry game with the Tigers during their first game of the season on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Tip-off is slated to begin for the JV girls at 4 p.m., with the varsity to begin at 5:30.

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